RAWALPINDI: A grocery store owner was abducted by three unidentified persons, one of them wearing police uniform, and robbed of Rs60,000 in addition to withdrawing Rs500,000 from his account in Sadiqabad as more than 90 cases of street crime were reported to the police on Sunday.

The 90 cases included 16 robberies in which one person was shot and injured. Moreover, 22 motorcycles and three cars were stolen and several people deprived of their cellphones.

A police official attributed the rise in theft and robbery cases to the upcoming Eidul Fitr when criminals get opportunities in targeting citizens.

Mohammad Saleem, a grocery shop owner, was abducted and then robbed of cash by armed persons. He lodged an FIR with the Saidabad police saying that he was working at his store when three persons entered the shop and held him at gunpoint. One of the armed persons was wearing police uniform, he added.

He said they started searching his shop and grabbed Rs60,000 from his drawer and then blindfolded him and took him away. He said the culprits detained him illegally in a room and tortured him for more than two days.

He said during his detention, they brought a girl there and took photographs with her and also forcibly withdrew Rs500,000 from his bank account before freeing him.

Among the robbery victims were also family members of Mohammad Faizan. They were returning after Eid shopping when two robbers held them at gunpoint at Marir Chowk, one of the busiest places. The robbers snatched gold jewellery worth Rs1.2 million from the wife of Mr Faizan and an iPhone worth Rs600,000 from him.

“Police were called to the spot and they collected details and viewed CCTV images and assured the family that they would trace the culprits and recover the loot,” Mr Faizan told Dawn.

Faizan, a resident of Adiala Road, went to Commercial Market in Satellite Town with his family for Eid shopping. While returning home, his car broke down near the Marir Chowk metro bus stop. As he was waiting for help, two motorcycle riders pulled up at 8:30pm and held the family at gunpoint. Besides the phone, they also snatched a gold necklace, gold ring and earrings from his wife and sped off.

Wasim Ahmad, a resident of Naseerabad, was on way home on his motorcycle when two robbers intercepted him and at gunpoint snatched his motorcycle, a purse and cellphone and fled after shooting and injuring him.

Farhan Ali lodged a similar FIR with the Naseerabad police saying that he was heading home when he found four unidentified persons in the street. They held him at gunpoint and snatched his motorcycle, Rs400,000 and a cellphone. Another person was also robbed of Rs50,000 and a mobile phone at the same spot.

Moreover, burglars broke into the house of Mohammad Shahzad in Naseerabad and stole Rs300,000, gold jewellery worth Rs1.5 million and electronic goods.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2025